McGuinness Captures NABA Title

Hometown hero Logan Cotton McGuinness knocked out former world title challenger Benoit Gaudet in the 11th round last Saturday night in the main event on a provincial rivalry card, pitting Ontario and Quebec fighters against each other in a statement showdown, to capture the vacant North American Boxing Association (“NABA”) super featherweight title at The Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario.

McGuinness (16-0-1, 7 KOs), presently rated No. 10 by the World Boxing Association (“WBA”) in the lightweight division, relinquished his NABA lightweight crown to fight Gaudet for the lower weight belt.

“This was the biggest fight of my career,” McGuinness said. “He had nearly 200 amateur fights and fought in the Olympics, so he had an experience advantage over me as a professional and amateur. Right from the get-go, I pressured him, cut off the ring, and broke him down. The last three rounds he felt my power, even my jab. I hit him with a good jab and the ropes held him up. He isn’t known as a puncher and I walked through his punches.”

McGuinness, captain of Team Ontario, was the aggressor from the opening bell, forcing the pace against counter-punching Gaudet (24-3, 10 KOs). An accidental head butt in the second round opened a deep cut over McGuinness’ left eye. Logan cut Gaudet over his left eye in the sixth round. In the 11th round, McGuinness’ pressure paid off in dramatic fashion when the Irish-Canadian fighter unloaded a powerful right-left combination that dropped Gaudet, who reached his feet but was unable to continue as the referee halted the match.

“I like fighting as a super featherweight,” Logan added. “I had no trouble making weight and felt stronger. I weighed in at 128, two pounds under, and was 132 the day of the fight. I’m not sure what’s next but I’m ready for anything my promoter, manager and trainer agreed to.”

“What a show,” exclaimed promoter Adam Harris (Hennessy Sports). “We hope to get Logan back in the ring in a few months. This impressive performance puts him in the mix for a title shot next year. He wants to continue fighting as a super featherweight. We’ve also been contacted by people who want to showcase him on U.S. television. The sky’s the limit for Logan Cotton McGuinness. Ontario also showed boxing people that Quebec isn’t the only hotbed for talent in Canada. Ontario won all three rivalry fights.”